Calcium carbide has long been known for its reactivity with water resulting in the evolution of acetylene gas. Heretofore, the production of calcium carbide has been carried out by directly reacting carbon with calcium oxide in an electric furnace as described by Cotton and Wilkinson, "Advanced Inorganic Chemistry", Third Edition, 216 (1972). Due to the high energy costs of such methods, the production of calcium carbide has been restricted. In addition, while the making of acetylene gas from the reaction of water with calcium carbide has long been known, such processes have been limited not only by the cost of carbide but the undesirous by-product, lime, which is formed.
Recently, an improved method for generating an acetylene base fuel gas has been described in my copending and concurrently executed U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 145,304 filed Apr. 30, 1980, titled "PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN ACETYLENE BASE FUEL GAS". With the advent of such new means of generating a relatively safe, stable energy rich acetylene based fuel gas, a more economical means for producing calcium carbide is needed.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a means of producing a substance which will react with water to produce an acetylene based fuel gas.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an economical means for reacting calcium oxide and carbon to produce a product having the properties of calcium carbide without the use of an electric furnace.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more apparent from the description which follows.